The present invention relates to a zero insertion force (ZIF) connector.
In order to facilitate electrical connection between a conductor such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and an element such as a printed circuit board (PCB), a zero insertion force connector can be used. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,778,403; 5,458,506 and 5,580,272 disclose a series of ZIF connectors. The conventional connectors each have an insulative housing and a cover plate connected with the housing. The connector is provided with a pivoting mechanism respectively formed on the housing and the cover plate, whereby the cover plate is pivotable relative to the housing between closed and open positions. However, due to limited space in the connector, the pivot mechanism must have a small size, which causes the mechanism to be weak by nature. The weak pivot mechanism impairs the durability of the connector. Referring to FIG. 5 which is a duplication of FIG. 3 in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,403, a ZIF connector comprises an insulative housing 72 and a cover plate 76 pivotably attached to the housing 72. The housing 72 comprises a pair of reversed steps 720 at a front end thereof and the cover plate 76 comprises a pair of projection shoulders 760 at a front end thereof. The cover plate 76 further comprises a pair of side walls 762 clamping both ends 722 of the housing 72 therebetween. The side walls 762 can become unhinged due to the cover plate 76 simultaneously clamping with the housing 72 at its forward end and pivoting about the housing 72 at its middle. This can happen while attempting to fully close the cover plate 76 with the housing 72. As the cover plate 76 pivots it can simultaneously move forward, thereby causing the side walls 762 to disengage from the housing 72. Additionally, the projection shoulder 760 is not durable and is prone to being deformed and broken when the projection shoulder 760 engages with the reversed step 720 of the housing 72. Hence, an improved ZIF connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.